Bay Area Pet Psychic

Dear Pet Psychic,
I got my cat Jake at 9 months from the shelter where he came in as a stray. He has always been sweet, but is also skittish and scared. He lets me pet him if I’m quiet and still, but if I reach down in the midst of walking he’ll always run away. Can you look at the energy around him or his past—anything that is contributing to his fear.
SJA

Dear SJA,
I see that Jake is still getting used to being around people. He is slowly getting socialized. He looks like he is very sensitive and his nervous system developed more as a wild cat than a tame housecat when he was a small kitten. I see that he was around people when he was younger but they don’t look like they paid him much attention. So it looks like he got used to coming and going as he pleased, getting fed and a little attention from the people he was around. But he looks jumpy because he learned to be on the lookout and to run at a moment’s notice because he was outside and not looked after. With love and attention it looks like he will become calmer and more affectionate, but it also looks like being skittish is part of his make-up as he developed early on that way.

Dear Pet Psychic,
I have two older dogs that I moved into the house this winter. We live in Michigan and it can get brutally cold here. They have always been outside dogs no matter what the weather. We have a large dog pen, doggie condo and wooden boxes full of blankets for them to enjoy outside. Bonnie seems to like it in the house more than Clyde. I hate to separate them as they are brother and sister and have never been apart, but Clyde seems so miserable. I put them out in their pen if the temp is above freezing. They have very thick fur that I shave off in the spring. I don’t know if I should separate them, put them both out, clip some of their fur or leave them in. Can you ask them what they may want? I love them dearly and want them to be comfortable. I hate to think that my decision to bring them in the house has made their life less than enjoyable.
Thank you, Julee

Dear Julee,
Validate yourself that you are communicating with your pets and picking up what they want! I see that Bonnie does like it in the house more than Clyde. She wants to be with you and wants to be indoors with you. She views you as her alpha dog and wants to be close to you. She enjoys the house-dog lifestyle much more than the sled dog lifestyle. Clyde looks like he is more comfortable outside. He is bonded with you but he looks like more of a “dog”. It just feels better to him to be outside. Clyde’s temperament looks like more of a working dog in some ways and he looks much more independent. I see that he looks at you as his alpha dog too, but to him being outside is just part of his life. You might want to try letting Clyde sleep outside at night separate from his sister and see how that goes. I see that Bonnie does not want to sleep outside at all.

Dear Pet Psychic,
We adopted our pet poodle Pinkie three years ago from a local shelter. Even with two young boys I have grown so close to her and attached! She needs love and attention constantly. Since we will soon be moving to an apartment in New York from our home here in France, we thought it was best to find a new family for her. A wonderful older lady friend of the family adopted her two weeks ago. Pinkie seems happy and adjusting well. I miss her so much, even though I know she’s well taken care of and probably gets more cuddles than she did here! My vet says I should not go see Pinkie because it would cause her to be upset, but I miss her and would love to see her! I dreamt about Pinkie two nights ago and I have never dreamt about her before. Was that her way of saying she’s okay? Would it be unwise to go for a visit or would it hurt her more if I came by only to leave her again? Thank you for your sharing of your gift, Mellisa

Dear Mellisa,
I see that Pinkie looks very happy in her new home. She looks loved and feels very secure. I see that by going to see her it will confuse her because even though she loves you, it makes her wonder if she is going home with you or if she is staying in her new home. This upsets her sense of security because she doesn’t know what is going to happen to her or what is expected of her. She loves both of you, but by seeing her the expectation that you are going to bring her home becomes strong. When you leave her again, then she experiences the confusion and sadness of why she is not with you anymore. It is better for her to stay in her new life where she is definitely getting love and for everyone to move forward. In terms of your dreams of her, I see this being more of your emotional connection to her and you working out your feelings of guilt and grief that are causing you to check in with her to make sure she is okay.